Declawing the Korat is a major surgery known as onychectomy, performed using anesthesia, which removes the claw from each digit (from the first knuckle out) of the Korat’s forepaws. There is a small possibility of death in the operation, and a declawed Korat might experience an increased risk of infection and long-term pain in his paws. This operation is not suitable for a full-grown Korat and is termed an act of animal cruelty in some places (as shown below).
People generally have Korats declawed to stop them from damaging furniture and hunting. Seldom, vicious Korats are declawed. In America, some landlords require that tenants’ Korats are declawed.
Veterinarians are typically negative about the operation and some refuse to do it since the absence of claws in a Korat:
- Reduces its primary defense skills, including escaping from predators by climbing trees;
- Deprives it of its exercising and stretching habits, which can lead to muscle atrophy;
- Reduces its ability to walk on narrow surfaces like fence tops and railings, leading to injury from falling;
- Can cause insecurity and as a result a tendency to bite.
This surgery is uncommon outside of North America. In Germany, Finland, Switzerland and the Netherlands, declawing a Korat is not allowed by the laws forbidding cruelty to animals. In many other countries in Europe, it is forbidden under the terms of the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals, unless a vet deems such non-curative procedures necessary either for veterinary medical reasons or for the benefit of the Korat. In the United Kingdom, animal shelters find it difficult to place imported Korats that have been declawed and subsequently most are euthanized.
An substitute for declawing a Korat is the application of blunt, vinyl nail caps that are affixed to the claws with harmless glue, requiring periodic changing when the Korat sheds its claw sheaths (about every four to six weeks). Yet, the Korat may still have problems since the capped nails are not as effective as claws.
Don’t forget to check out these other articles about Korats.Was this post helpful? If so, please take a minute to Tweet and Share below on Facebook. I would also love to know your thoughts so leave me a comment 🙂
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